Chapter 75: Enlightenment on the Icefield, Returning with Honor
The tragic experience at Broken Blade Cliff, like a heavy branding iron, left a deep mark on the hearts of every survivor. On the way back to Demon Suppression City, the atmosphere in the group was subdued. No one spoke, only the thud of heavy footsteps and the occasional groan of the wounded echoed in the snowstorm.
Although Ye Li had also consumed a great deal of spiritual energy, and had several shallow scars left on her body by the demons, her eyes were brighter and sharper than ever. The fight on the brink of life and death, the initial activation of the power of the star core, and the contemplation of the ancient runes that she had caught a glimpse of at the foot of Broken Blade Cliff had all left her in a state of wonderful enlightenment.
As she hurried on, she repeatedly rehearsed the improvised "Star Chill Split" in her mind. This sword technique, combining the extreme chill of the "Ice Soul Sealing Heaven Finger," the spiritual energy of the "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld," and a hint of the true meaning of annihilation from the origin of the stars, was powerful but crude, placing a heavy strain on her spiritual power and soul. How to perfect it, turning it into a controllable and powerful killing move, was her current key task.
At the same time, after this stimulation, the star core in her sea of consciousness seemed to have become even more closely connected to her. The emanating source power, though weak, was more in tune with the properties of her meridians, subtly nourishing her cultivation barriers. She felt that the bottleneck in her mid-stage Condensing Meridians, which had been holding her back, was actually showing signs of loosening.
After returning to Demon Suppression City, Tieying immediately went to the General's Mansion to report the situation, focusing on the unusual scale of the demonic tide and the cliff runes discovered by Yeli. Yeli declined Tieying's suggestion to seek credit for her and returned to her simple stone house, immediately beginning her retreat.
She needs to digest the gains from this mission, and more importantly, she needs to seize this opportunity for a breakthrough.
A chill permeated the stone house. Ye Li sat cross-legged, a top-grade ice spirit stone in each hand. The "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld" was operating at full power, absorbing the pure, icy spiritual energy like a whale absorbing water. Within his dantian, the spiritual vein, like a galaxy of icy crystals, surged relentlessly, constantly impacting the invisible barrier of the mid-stage realm.
The fragments of the Samsara Mirror emanated a gentle, clear glow, guarding her sea of consciousness and allowing her to maintain absolute clarity as she pushed through the bottleneck. The star core slowly spun, emitting the stellar essence like the finest chisel, helping her refine her spiritual power and solidify her foundation.
As time went by, the wind and snow outside the stone house seemed to never stop, while the atmosphere inside the house became increasingly cold and deep.
On the seventh day, a slight sound, as if ice was breaking, came from Ye Li's body!
boom!
The more powerful and pure extreme cold spiritual energy burst through the solid barrier like a flood, rushing through her body! The spiritual veins widened and solidified at a speed visible to the naked eye, the color became deeper and darker, and the tiny starlight within them became more and more dazzling!
Late stage of Condensing Veins Realm!
Everything will come naturally!
The moment of the breakthrough, Ye Li's understanding and control of power reached a whole new level. Her deduction of "Star Frost Split" also suddenly became clear, and many previously obscure points became crystal clear. She even felt that she had touched the threshold of the second level of "Universe Traceless Steps," "Void Wandering."
She didn't emerge from seclusion immediately, but instead continued to consolidate her realm while simultaneously refining "Star Frost Split." She disassembled and reassembled this move, eliminating the unnecessary and retaining the essentials. Ultimately, she developed the prototype of a more stable, less exhausting, yet more powerful sword technique. She named it "Star Silence," implying the annihilation of the stars and the freezing of all things.
Three days later, Ye Li finally emerged from her retreat. When she pushed open the door to the stone house, her aura had become restrained, but the glint that occasionally flashed through her eyes revealed a significant improvement in her strength.
Tieying, who had been waiting outside, was once again filled with amazement when he saw her. He clearly felt that the girl before him had been completely transformed since before her retreat, and her aura was even more unfathomable.
"Friend Ye, you've emerged from seclusion just in time!" Tieying stepped forward, his tone tinged with excitement and solemnity. "General Zhao wants to see you! We've made significant progress regarding the rune you discovered!"
Ye Li's heart moved, and she followed Tieying to the general's mansion again.
In the study, General Zhao Gan and several senior generals and formation masters of the Demon Suppression Army were gathered in front of the huge map of the northern border. On the map, the location of Broken Blade Cliff was marked particularly prominently.
"Junior Brother Ye, you're here!" Zhao Gan smiled a rare smile upon seeing Ye Li. "The runes you discovered last time, after overnight research and comparison by several formation masters, can be basically confirmed to be the remaining node runes of the ancient 'Ice Soul Mysterious Palace's' protective formation - the 'Mysterious Ice Sky-Splitting Formation'!"
"Bingpo Xuan Palace?" Ye Li felt unfamiliar with the name.
An old formation master excitedly explained, "The Ice Soul Profound Palace was a powerful sect that ruled the northern glaciers tens of thousands of years ago. It was said that their techniques were extremely cold and powerful, but later, for unknown reasons, they suddenly disappeared. The remains of their mountain gate have always been a mystery. If the runes under the Broken Blade Cliff are truly the nodes of the Mysterious Ice Sky-Splitting Formation, then this means that the remains of the Ice Soul Profound Palace are likely hidden at the bottom of the Broken Blade Cliff, or in some other dimension connected to it!"
Zhao Gan interjected, his expression serious. "More importantly, we suspect the recent unusual movements of the Black Demon are likely related to this ruins! Perhaps the seal of the ruins has loosened, leaking out a cold demonic aura that has attracted demons, or even... an even more powerful demon has escaped from the ruins!"
This inference sent a chill down everyone's spine. The ruins of an ancient sect presented immense opportunities, but also presented unknown dangers that could far exceed their current capabilities.
"Nephew Ye," Zhao Gan looked at Ye Li with a blazing gaze. "During this mission, you not only uncovered clues to the demonic tide's movements, but also discovered key information about the ruins of the Bingpo Xuan Palace. You've made a great contribution! This matter is of great importance and is beyond the capacity of Demon Suppression City alone. I need you to immediately return to Xuanyun Sect with detailed intelligence and report personally to the Sect Master! I request that the sect dispatch formation masters and elite forces to support us!"
Ye Li understood. This was both a significant mission and an opportunity for her to return to the sect with integrity. With this crucial intelligence, the pressure and doubts directed at her would naturally diminish.
"This junior has no choice but to do it!" Ye Li bowed in response.
The situation was urgent, so Zhao Gan immediately prepared the fastest flying monster beast for Ye Li - a third-level peak "Snow Wing Eagle", and an encrypted jade slip that recorded all the discoveries and inferences.
Before leaving, Tieying and several teammates who had fought side by side with him came to see him off.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, take care on your journey! I look forward to your return with reinforcements soon!" Tieying said solemnly.
"Senior Sister Ye, thank you so much for saving our lives!" Several surviving disciples and independent cultivators also saluted.
After the battle at Broken Blade Cliff, Ye Li won the respect of these tough border troops with his strength and responsibility.
Ye Li nodded to everyone and leaped onto the Snow Winged Eagle. The giant eagle let out a clear cry, spread its broad snow-white wings, and soared into the sky, galloping towards the direction of the Xuanyun Sect in the south!
The return journey was much smoother than the journey there. The Snow-Winged Eagle was incredibly fast, and Ye Li's cultivation had greatly improved, so she no longer sought to conceal her whereabouts. Occasionally, a blind flying monster would intercept her, but she would freeze them into ice sculptures with a casual swipe of her "Star Silence" sword energy.
Half a month later, the familiar outline of the seventy-two peaks of Xuanyun Sect finally appeared in sight.
When the Snow Wing Eagle landed in Xuantian Peak Square, it immediately caused a sensation.
"It's Yeli! She's back!"
"Didn't she go to the North? Why is she back so soon?"
"Look at her aura...it seems to have become stronger again!"
"That's what she's riding... a Rank 3 Snow-Winged Eagle? The Demon Suppression City's military beast!"
The news spread like wildfire. When Ye Li walked towards Lingxiao Palace, holding General Zhao Gan's token and the encrypted jade slip, she attracted countless surprised, curious, and complicated glances.
Inside the Lingxiao Palace, Sect Leader Xuan Chengzi and several elders gathered again. Everyone was shocked to hear that Ye Li had not only returned safely, but had also broken through to the late Condensed Veins stage, and had brought back important intelligence regarding the unusual movements of the demonic tide in the north and the ruins of the ancient sect's "Ice Soul Mysterious Palace."
After Sect Leader Xuan Chengzi personally reviewed the contents of the jade slip, his expression became extremely solemn. "Bingpo Xuan Palace... this matter is indeed of great importance! Ye Li, your contribution this time is far beyond imagination!"
He glanced at the elders present, especially Situ Kuang, whose expression was not looking good, and said in a deep voice, "Ye Li, regardless of his own personal safety, went deep into the dangerous northern border to investigate the source of the demonic tide and discover the ancient ruins. He has made great contributions to the safety of the sect and even the entire northern border of the spiritual world! All previous disputes can be put aside compared to this achievement! Order: Promote Ye Li to the rank of elite inner sect disciple, enjoying the treatment of a true disciple! Reward him with 500,000 contribution points and 100,000 spirit stones, and he will be allowed to read on the top floor of the Sutra Library for three days!"
This reward is truly generous! It directly affirms Ye Li's contributions and status!
Situ Kuang opened his mouth, but in the end, nothing came out. In the face of such a solid achievement, if he continued to make trouble, he would only bring shame upon himself.
Mr. Muyun stroked his beard and smiled, his eyes full of satisfaction.
Ye Li calmly accepted the reward and thanked the headmaster. She felt no wavering; all of this was earned through her strength and risk-taking.
As she walked out of the High Heaven Palace, the sunlight shone upon her, cold yet dazzling. The gazes of the sect disciples towards her had completely changed. From initial suspicion and jealousy, they now morphed into awe, admiration, and even a hint of worship.
She returned with a powerful presence, using her tangible achievements to dispel all criticism. The wind and snow of the north not only failed to break her, but instead tempered her to become even more sharp.
However, Ye Li knew this was just the beginning. The secrets of the Bingpo Xuan Palace ruins and the sect's attention meant greater opportunities and a more complex vortex. Her feud with Zhan Kuangfeng and the Chiyan Sect was far from over.
But at this moment, she was standing on Xuantian Peak under the sun, her mind clear and fearless.
"Next, it's time to explore the Ice Soul Profound Palace..." She looked toward the north, a flicker of anticipation in her eyes. A new storm was brewing, and she was ready to ride it.
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